


Hekili (thunder)

by AlexHunt



Series: Open Heart — Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley [1]
Category: Choices - Fandom, Open Heart (Visual Novels), PlayChoices
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Fluff, Hawaii, Siblings, Thunderstorms, thunderstorm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26625853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexHunt/pseuds/AlexHunt
Summary: A prequel to Open Heart : Bryce and Keiki as childrenThis takes place before the Open Heart series, around Bryce’s junior year (so before his family’s legal problems).
Relationships: Bryce Lahela & Keiki Lahela
Series: Open Heart — Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1804726
Kudos: 2





	Hekili (thunder)

A boom of thunder roared over the hill where their mansion complex sat overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a rare sound but one he had expected. The weather service had warned about instability in the atmosphere which would lead to a thunderstorm.

Bryce tapped his pencil mindlessly against his Honours Pre-Calc textbook, trying to focus on working through a logarithmic function equation rather than the storm outside. A bolt of lightning danced across the sky, illuminating the cloudy horizon. Thunder roared not more than ten seconds later. 

The storm was approaching quickly. Rain pelted against the oversized windows and the glass door of the study. Bryce stood gazing out to his ocean escape. Even through the darkness and rain he could see it, hear it calling to him. The waves crashed with a ferocity that begged him to their depths. He had spent the afternoon and evening taking advantage of the tumultuous waves before the storm. 

The salty scent of the sea wafted through the crack in the door as he opened it slowly, breathing in the fresh rain. One step at a time he made his way out into the storm. His face turned up toward the sky, eyes closed, just standing in appreciation. Rain cascaded around him washing over him, pulling with it all that weighed him down. It was something about the water, any water that brought him back—that centerered him and let him feeling himself; it felt more like home than sitting in the warm, luxurious study he had just come from.

A vibrant violet light flashed, pulling him from his quiet thoughts. The rumbling thunder that followed about five seconds later shook the window and rattled the door. Tempting fate enough for one day, he headed back inside. 

With a quick flick of his head, his shoulder-length, caramel brown hair flurried out around him, shaking water all across the entryway. 

“Bryce?” Her soft little whimper brought him to his knees as he rushed to her.

“Keiki, hey, it’s okay.” His thumb brushed across her cheek attempting to wipe her tears, but the rain on his skin only added to it. “What’s wrong?”

His four-year-old sister sniffled loudly, clutching a raggedy stuffed sea turtle. Her gaze was locked on the wall of windows and the storm brewing outside. 

“Is it the rain?” 

Her eyes pinned closed, her head nodding slightly as the next round of lightning and thunder sounded, echoing on all sides of the enormous house. 

Instinctively his arms wrapped around her, shielding her from the looming threat. 

She shivered beneath his embrace, her cries continuing.

“Oh, sorry.” He pulled back and offered her his hand instead. “Let’s get you and Shelly back to bed.” 

Keiki shook her head, her brown eyes shimmering as tears collected. “I want to stay with you.”

“How about I stay with you then? Let me just dry off first. We don’t want your bed getting all wet.”

A few minutes later, Bryce had Keiki back in her pink princess bed. He made sure her blankets were thoroughly tucked around her, cocooning her safely. He shut the curtains and made sure all the windows were closed tightly shielding her as much as possible from the storm. 

He shifted into her bed, resting against the headboard, one of her favorite read aloud in his hands. 

Keiki turned toward him, her tired eyes focusing on her older brother. 

He began to read, “A is for Aloha. Aloha is our letter A. It means so many things: hello, good-bye, and love to you. Fair wishes this word brings…”

A crash of thunder brought Keiki curling against him. Her little arms firmly pressed against his torso. Bryce brought his arm around her holding her securely as he continued with the book, attempting to distract her. “B is for state bird. The nēnē is a Hawaiian Goose, with feathers beige and brown. It lives atop the great volcanoes and never goes to town.”

“And Bryce,” she yawned, her eyelids fluttering more with each passing word. 

“And Bryce,” he repeated quietly, pulling the covers snuggly around her. Letter by letter he continued, but by the time he got to K, her breathing had slowed and soft sounds of slumber filled the room. He carefully inched out of her bed, making sure Shelly the Turtle was in her arms for when she woke up. He turned off the light and placed the book on her end table. 

“K is for Keiki, my very favorite person,” he whispered, brushing a kiss on the top of her head. “Good night, Keiki. Only the sweetest dreams for you.”


End file.
